1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus that can carbonate liquids within a container.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbonated water and sodas are typically packaged in glass or plastic bottles. When shipped, the bottles are usually sealed with a cap or top that can be subsequently removed. After the seal is broken, the carbon dioxide escapes from the bottle. Over time, the carbonated beverage loses most of its carbonation, resulting in a drink that tastes"flat". The release of carbon dioxide from the carbonated beverage therefore limits the amount of time that an opened bottle of such beverage can be kept and reused. It is desirable to recarbonate a carbonated beverage to restore its taste.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,565, issued to Sturman et al. on Jun. 11, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,012, issued to Grill et al. on Mar. 7, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,186, issued to Grill on Aug. 22, 1995, disclose devices that can be attached to beverage containers. These devices contain a carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) cartridge which can supply carbon dioxide to the contents of the container. The flow of CO.sub.2 into the container is controlled by a flow valve that is actuated by a button or lever located on the side of the device. The flow valve is constructed to regulate the pressure of CO.sub.2 within the beverage container.
The CO.sub.2 cartridge of the above devices can be removed and replaced when the cartridge has been depleted. A typical CO.sub.2 cartridge can provide a limited number of charges of CO.sub.2, after which the cartridge must be replaced. Having to periodically replace the cartridges can be expensive and inconvenient to the user. It would be desirable to have a carbonation attachment that can be supplied with CO.sub.2 from either a cartridge or a large tank. Coupling the attachment to a CO.sub.2 tank would allow the user to recharge a large number of beverage containers before replacing the tank.